Building Commission NSW

Renovation stress? Building dispute? Licence questions? That’s what we’re here for.

We are the regulator of the NSW building industry and we offer support by phone, online, or at your local Service NSW centre, helping with everything from home building enquiries to disputes, licences, owner‑builder permits, certifiers, eCert support and more!

📞 Call us on 13 27 00, submit an enquiry online, or visit a Service NSW Centre for in‑person support.

Find the best way to get in touch: https://www.nsw.gov.au/departments-and-agencies/building-commission/contact-us

Electrical work not up to standard? We can help.

If your electrician has left work unfinished, delivered poor quality, or caused damage to your property and you can’t resolve it yourself, we can help you take action.

We can assist with complaints about:
• Incomplete or defective work
• Work that doesn’t meet legal warranty standards
• Damage to your property or neighbouring structures

Get the support you need: https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/lodge-a-home-building-complaint-with-the-building-commission-nsw

46 projects completed, 26 in progress, 15 buildings receiving retrospective assistance, and 72 interest-free loans issued to support owners corporations 🙌

Project Remediate is a program that helps owners corporations in eligible Class 2 residential apartment buildings remove and replace combustible cladding. It provides coordinated project delivery, expert technical support, and interest-free loans to help fund remediation works and reduce the financial burden on owners.

For buildings with combustible cladding, [tag] NSW Fire and Rescue applies an elevated response protocol to help reduce risk. This includes deploying additional crews and resources to fire incidents at these buildings until remediation is complete.

Safer homes ✅
Safer buildings ✅
Greater confidence for residents and communities across NSW ✅

“Owner-builder” doesn’t just mean DIY, it means legal responsibility.

In NSW, you can become an owner-builder without ever picking up a tool.

If you choose to manage or supervise your own residential building project instead of engaging a licensed builder, you may need an owner-builder permit.

Generally, a permit is required when:
▪️ The work is over $10,000
▪️ A Development Application (DA) or Complying Development Certificate (CDC) is needed, and
▪️ You are managing the project yourself

Public update: We have banned Prestigious Plumbing Pty Ltd (241808C) and Brofessionals Pty Ltd (375380C) as well as their directors Ghadeer Khalil (230434C) and Isaac Donald Ianuari (368874C) and issued more than $120,000 in fines, after finding they acted as proxies for a restricted business Australian Trades (300418C) and its director Charbel Alha (190178C) who used similar unlawful practices.

Our investigation found Prestigious Plumbing and Brofessionals engaged in unlawful business practices, including:
• Issuing excessive quotes and grossly overcharging for plumbing services;
• Misrepresenting the urgency, nature or extent of work required to fix plumbing;
• Placing undue pressure on consumers to accept quotes;
• Failing to provide itemised invoices;
• Failing to provide written quotes to consumers prior to pressuring consumers to accept quotes; and
• In the case of Prestigious Plumbing, using unlawful contract terms.

In light of the findings, we have taken the following disciplinary action:
• Cancel the NSW contractor licences of Prestigious Plumbing, Brofessional and their directors, Ghadeer Khalil and Isaac Donald Ianuari;
• Permanently disqualified the businesses and directors from holding or controlling a relevant licence in NSW;
• Fined Prestigious Plumbing and Brofessionals $50,000 each; and
• Fined Ghadeer Khalil and Isaac Donald Ianuari $11,000 each.

Building Commission NSW disciplinary decisions can be appealed to NCAT.

If you’ve been affected, you can lodge a complaint here: https://www.nsw.gov.au/departments-and-agencies/building-commission/contact-us -make-a-complaint-or-enquiry-online

Compliance isn’t optional on NSW building sites and we’re out there making sure of it.

Our inspectors carried out Operation Broadwater, a large-scale compliance blitz across more than 100 building sites between Coffs Harbour and Tweed Heads, focusing on licensing, signage, and specialised plumbing and electrical work.

Here’s what we found:
• 35 fines issued, including 23 for unlicensed work and contracting
• 40 Written Direction Notices issued for a range of compliance issues
• Non-compliant signage and missing safety information across multiple sites
• Defects identified in plumbing and electrical installations, including heat pump systems

Alongside inspections, we held industry seminars to reinforce licensing, supervision and regulatory requirements.

Learn more: https://www.nsw.gov.au/ministerial-releases/operation-broadwater-blitzes-building-sites-between-coffs-harbour-and-tweed-heads

Do you have experienced workers without formal qualifications?

Experienced tradespeople with over 3 years experience can turn their on-the-job skills into nationally recognised qualifications through the NSW Department of Education's Recognition of Prior Learning and fee-free targeted gap training.

It’s a practical way to upskill your team and help address skills gaps in NSW’s construction workforce.

Find out more: https://education.nsw.gov.au/skills-nsw/students-and-job-seekers/trade-pathways-experienced-workers

Our contact centre will be closed on Monday 8 June due to the King's Birthday public holiday.

In the meantime, you can find helpful information or make an online enquiry or complaint via our website: https://www.nsw.gov.au/departments.../building-commission

We will reopen at 8:30am on Tuesday 9 April 2026.

Wet weather can expose dodgy building work 🌧️

If you’ve recently built or renovated, keep an eye out for these red flags:

🚩 Water stains or damp patches

🚩 Peeling or bubbling paint

🚩 Mould or musty smells

🚩 Drips or pooling water

🚩 Blocked gutters or pipes

Check your ceilings, walls, floors, windows, doors, kitchen and bathroom.

Remember: major defects are covered by a 6-year statutory warranty, and 2 years for other defects.